Camp Cisame is one of the best carbet I have ever visited in French Guiana. The location is idyllic, the food is delicious, and last but not least you can test your luck and search for gold in the river, or even see poisonous snakes in the forest. Tempted to visit but don’t know what to expect? Check out our experience there.
What is a carbet? It’s a wooden structure with a roof where you can hang your hammock. They are very common in tropical areas and there many people who live inside these wooden houses all around the world. When visiting French Guiana you will see many along the rivers.
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How to arrive
Camp Cisame is on the Approuague river, one of the largest rivers in the region. When you book your stay the pirogue transport is included. The meeting point with your hosts is at Regina’s dock, about 3 hours from Kourou (and Europe’s Space Center) and 2 hours from Cayenne.
From there you will embark on a pirogue for a 2-hour trip. Depending on the season, your navigation can be more or less calm, because of the water level.
Best time to visit Camp Cisame
When we visited in August, there was a moment when some of us had to get in the water to help the pirogue get past the rocks. During the rainy season, the water level is much higher, but you will risk having rainy days. And your walks in the forest may be very muddy!
For these reasons, when planning your stay, I’d recommend you go during the dry season. The weather is better for all your outdoor activities.
The must-try-activities in Camp Cisame
All the activities are included in the forfait you pay when booking, if you are in the mood for a walk you can always ditch the guided excursions to relax on the riverside or read a book.
Hike into the forest or descent the river transported by the flow
What’s more adventurous than a walk in the Amazonian rain forest? In Camp Cisame you may choose between two different hikes.
The first is a short walk in the forest, that lasts about 40 minutes and ends on the Approuague’s riverside. To go back to the camp, you are equipped with a life jacket, and you start your descent transported by the river’s current. It’s indeed a unique experience! You can choose either to swim or just chill and descent the river transported by the flow.
The second path is a circular trek inside the rain forest. On your walk, the guide will show you and explain the characteristics of the various plants and trees, or occasionally insects and animals on your path. For example, the amazing lance head we have almost stepped on. This viper is highly venomous, so forgive me for the quality of the photo, I was quite nervous while taking the shot!
Relax, meditate or fish
Inside Camp Cisame there is a carbet dedicated to relaxing. There you can sip drinks at 5 pm (French Guiana’s cocktail hour), read a book, or play shuffleboard against your partner, it’s more difficult than it looks.
Also, don’t forget to bring your fishing rod. It’s relaxing to spend a few hours on the dock, and you may fish for dinner!
Test your luck and skills in gold digging
This is undoubtedly the most exciting (and if you are VERY lucky profitable) activity you can do in Camp Cisame. So, without hesitating take the gold panning and go search in the small stream behind the carbets.
I filled a small bottle of dirt and a tiny minuscule gold particle, and I’m absolutely proud of it! But I know a friend who found a little gold nugget. Test your luck, it’s really funny. Although you should be careful with your back, as the position to filter water isn’t the most comfortable.
The food
I can’t talk about Camp Cisame without mentioning the food. It is truly delicious!
The appetizers called accras, fried fish beignets, are so good you will almost wish they were the main course. The fish is freshly taken from the river and the side dishes are very abundant and good! The drinks are very good as well. There are freshly made juices or rum flavored with local fruits and aromatic plants.
In French we say Bon Appetit!
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Experience the thrill of sleeping in the forest
If you are visiting French Guiana, consider spending at least 2 days at Camp Cisame. The nights in the Amazonian Forest are magical, although first timers will not sleep well. And you may also hear howler monkeys at dawn!
So, do I recommend you visit Camp Cisame? Absolutely! If you want to book your stay you can do it through the official Camp Cisame Facebook page. Have I triggered your curiosity in discovering French Guiana? Check out our top 6 reasons to why French Guiana should be on your bucket list.
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